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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Old, but great news: I was in Haiti a few weeks ago for a three week visit. LOVE!

When I lived in Haiti last year I held a weekly bible study for about 7-10 young girls, ages 9-15 years old. Most of them live in the nearby tent city. Two live in a neighborhood nearby but often hang out with their friends in the tent city, and one lives in Child Hope's girls home. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting with them again this trip. Although they often clam up when it comes time to share their thoughts, they love passing the bible around and reading scripture, as well as singing in little groups in front of the bigger group. Last year I wanted them to demonstrate how to be kind and loving to each other, so we roll played. It seemed this was the first time they had ever done this so it took some creative explanation to get them to understand. They loved roll playing how to verbally fight and beat each other up, but it was much harder for them to demonstrate how to love each other and be friends. (A side-note...just like when I was growing up, the girls here are cliquey and usually arrived to bible studying confessing that they were "not friends with" so and so, or so and so "does not want to be my friend." Most of the time I was so confused about who was friends or not friends with whom).

Tonight I was looking through my journal and reading through the prayer requests they shared. Join me, please, in praying for each of them and reading about how precious they are, as well as what they face in life. Many of their prayers are so big (We have a Big God) and very different from what many other children in the world may pray for.

L: not to fight, hit, or say bad words

D: to go to school. Her sister-in-law wants/needs her to watch her nephew so she cannot attend school. (This girl is only 10 years old and her nephew is an infant!)

G: for it to rain so her family and friends can find water to wash their clothes, her dad doesn't want her to go to worship on Saturdays (with the kids and staff of Child Hope)- pray that he will let her go.

K: Her mom to become a Christian, no more cockroaches in the girls' home

T: pass her exams, her mom to get married, and her mom to be healed of an illness

V: be intelligent in school, her mom to have the time to go to church

E: pray for her mom and papa (but she wasn't sure why we should pray. God knows)

L #2: to pass her exams in school; healing for a little boy at the feeding program who is blind in one eye (recently his brother accidentally gouged his eye out. The brother is now in jail, even though it was an accident. This sweet boy walks around the feeding program with a hat covering half of his face.)

J: pray for her health. She has been sick a lot in her heart and lungs

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

I was majorly into reading blogs tonight. Here are two I was crushing on. I really want to be dangerous in the way this suggest. The thought of that makes my heart want to bust out of my chest and my feet point towards the door.

http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2005/october/16176.html

I'm not sure I've ever read a more raw, thoughtful piece on someone's perceptions and struggles about Haiti and Jesus: